Improvement in car-seats



.w. W. PARKER.'

CAR-SEAT;

NQ,172,477 Patented Jan.18,1876.;-

fiirzafsgs ILPETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON D C UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM w. PARKER, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, AssIcNoR To LUC c. PARKER, or BOSTON, MAssAcHUsETTs.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-SEATS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 172,477, dated January 18, 1876;

application filed May -21, 1875.

similar articles, for the purpose of facilitating the reversing of the back, and enabling the article to be folded within a small compass.

The invention consists, first, in a novel construetion and combination of the arms and back, whereby the operation of reversing the back is facilitated, and said back and arms are held firmly in place when elevated, and whereby, also, the back is held in place flat upon the seat and the arms folded down thereon.

The invention consists, further, in the combination of the legs and a swinging brace, and in certain details of construction thereof, whereby the legs are held in position when unfolded.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section of a settee or other seat constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a front view of the same. Fig. 3 is an end view of the article when folded. Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the same.

A A represent the side rails, and B B the end pieces, of a frame, upon which rests the seat proper G. On the upper side of the seat C, near the four corners thereof, are four projections, D, formed or attached in any suitable manner. A portion of each projection forms one-half, f ,;of a hinge, the other half, f being formed on the arm E. Between the hinge portion f and the outer edge of each projection D, is a stud, d, immediately adjoining which is a rounded notch or depression, 6. The projections D and arms E are preferably made of metal. The arms E are of skeleton construction, and in the two upper corners of each arm are rounded notches or recesses g. The back H may consist of wooden slats fastened together, or of a frame-work of any suitable construction. At each end of the back is attached a bar, J, preferablyof metal, which serves as a brace. Midway of the length of each bar is a stud, h, extending from the end of the back in a direction longitudinally there- The outer end of the stud is provided with a flange orhead. At each end of the bar J is a lug, 2', extending outward parallel with the stud h.- Thelugs tare rounded, so as to avoid injury to the clothes of a person occupying the seat or passing near it, and are perforated .for engagement with the studs 01 on the projections D. When the back and arms are elevated the lugs z nearest the lower edge of the back rest in the notches e, and the flanged or headed studs h, at the ends of the back, rest in the recesses g, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. By this means the back is held in position, being slightly inclined backward in consequence of the recesses 9 being farther from the center than the notches e, and the arms E are prevented from folding inward or being forced outward, in consequence of the engagement of the flanges or heads of the studs h with the recesses 9. When the back is to be reversed, to enable the occupant to face in the opposite direction, it is first laid fiat on the seat, and then raised, so that its formerly lower edge will become the upper edge, and the studs h and the formerly upper lugs t' will engage with the recesses g and notches e in the opposite portions of the arms, as before described.

When the settee is to be folded the back is laid flat upon the seat 0, so that the studs at will pass into the perforations in the lugs i, and thereby hold the back in place, and as the height of the pivots of the hinges f from the seat 0 is equal to or greater than the thickness of the back H, the arms are readily folded down upon the back.

The studs h and lugs t need not necessarily be formed on the bars J, but may be attached to the back H in any suitable manner. The legs K are hinged or pivoted to the under portion of the frame, preferably by means of pivots 19, passing through the rails A and into the edges of the legs. By this mode of pivoting them they may be folded up between the rails and not project below the lower edges thereof. Under the seat 0 is hinged or pivoted a frame, M, of a length equal to the distance between the legs when unfolded, and of a width not greater than the space between the rails. At the lower cornersof the frame M are lips or studs m m, and on the inner sides of the legs K are sockets l l for the reception of said lips. When the legs are unfolded to support the seat the frame M is dropped between them to the inclined position shown in Figs. l and;2, and the lips or studs'menter the sockets l, by which means the legs are firmly braced and prevented from displacement in either direction. When in this position the brace M may serve as a foot-rest for the occupant of a seat located behind the;one-to which said brace belongs. Instead of a single frame or brace, there may be, if desired, two smaller ones, of triangular or other suitable shape, one at each end, attached and operating in a similar man-- ner to that just described.

On the under side of the seat 0 are two buttons, R R, the ends of which are of a thickness corresponding with the width ofgrooves ss, in the lower edges of the legs K K. When the settee is to' be folded the brace M is laid flat against the bottom of the seat 0, and the legs K are then folded against the brace, in which position they are secured by turning the ends of the buttons B into the grooves s, as shown in Fig. 4. When the article is thusfolded its thickness is no greater than the width of the rails A, together with the thickness of the back H and arm E, as will be seen by reference to Fig. 3, in which position it will'occupy a comparatively small space when set aside outof use, or when packed for transportation. 1 1 j What I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the studs h and lugs i. on the back H, the arms E, provided with the recesses g, and the projections D, provided with the notches 0, whereby the back and arms are-held in position when elevated, and the reversing of the back is facilitated, substantially as herein described.

2.- The combination of the perforated lugs i, studs (1, arms E, and hinges f f whereby the back is held in place on the seat, and the arms folded down thereon, substantially as,

herein described.

3. The combination of the hinged brace M and lips m, and the pivoted legs K and sockets Z Whereby the legs are held in place when; unfolded, substantially as herein described. i WM. W. PARKER.

' Witnesses: j

CHAS. F. HENDRYX, H. H. MONK. 

